Will foresters be more in demand as time goes on?

[BrandonTN]

I'm taking an environmental science course, and in my textbook it says that in 50 years, the earth's global pop. of people will increase by 2.5 billion, and goes on to say that agriculture will require 15% more land, irrigated land expected to double, and that nitrogen and phosphorus cycles will be strained....
And on  top of that there will be more land used up for urban/suburban development.

So, my question to the foresters:

With the consumer demands for forest products ever growing, and available resources/land slowly shrinking, does that mean that the demand for professional foresters will be growing along w/ the demands of the growing population?
Won't this growing demand mean growing challenges for foresters to do more with less?
If so, won't the forester become a more important figure in the general public eye?

I hear alot about the forest industry not being the best industry to "get rich" in, and I hear how foresters are under-paid and are more so at a loss for jobs then some other industries...so won't this increasing demand inevitably, sooner or later, change things in favor of the forester?

[Riles]

I'm told by the faculty here at Louisiana Tech that enrollment in the Forestry program lags stumpage prices by a couple of years. So two years after prices start climbing, so does the number of students. There's no shortage of job offers to the graduates, but they're not always high paying or located near mom and dad. Sounds like a lot of careers.

Over the next 50 years, plantations will continue to increase because it's the most efficient way to produce fiber. And in the US, most fiber production takes place in the south. Plantations are more agriculture than forestry, but there will be jobs.

The real niche is Non-Industrial Private Forests. Land ownership continues to fragment, and as the size of tracts decreases, more labor is required to get the trees off. Private land is a lot like the Federal lands in terms of growth rates and "multiple use objectives" but the majority of production still comes off private lands in the US. There's an adjustment needed here and money to the folks that can figure out a better system.

[Ron Wenrich]

36 years ago, when I graduated from college, they just had their first Earth Day.  I thought it would be great that the US was having a reawakening to their natural heritage.  I figured foresters would be in great demand to help protect the environment and to help furnish the needs of a growing population.  Housing starts were still well under 1 million and the population hadn't reach 200 million.  The boomers were going to need housing.

The only forestry related company that came to campus to interview was Weyerhauser.  They were interviewing mechanical engineers.     Government jobs were decreasing.  A friend of mine got a job as a forest technician, which requires an Associate degree in forestry.  His qualifications included veteran's preference and a Masters.

Fast forward a few years and having some experience under my belt, I became a consultant along with a fellow forester.  At that time, there were about 20 consultants in the whole state.  Now there are 10 times that many.  Supply or demand?

Actually, its an oversupply of foresters.  They can't find a job so they hang out a shingle.  Some are former procurement foresters, some are retired, some come from other consulting firms.  But, there are quite a few with no experience and no apprenticeship.

What's the future hold?  My guess is you'll see a lot more plantations, but not necessarily in the US.  Chile, New Zealand, and Brazil have a pretty healthy forest economy.  Look to Brazil to expand theirs, especially for wood fiber.  China is also starting more plantations.  The Europeans are starting to export wood, and Russia still has vast undeveloped reserves.  A lot will depend on where the investment money goes, both domestically and internationally.

But, foresters have a habit of losing their expertise to other fields.  We were considered competent to administer and monitor all things involved with forested areas.  Now you have engineers doing environmental impact studies on forested areas with little knowledge of ecosystems.  No problem, they just call in their biologist. 

Too many people consider foresters as guys who sit in forest stations and watch for forest fires or park rangers.  And we let it happen.

[jrdwyer]

I think that the need for foresters will stay flat or constant in the coming years in the USA. So in other words, retiring foresters will free up positions for new grads. I believe the only way this will change is if state or federal governments require the use of foresters for private forest management activities. This is extremely unlikely due to our history of private property rights, although this is the state of affairs in California. I don't see any big increase in forest management at the federal level due to politics.

World trade is greatly affecting forests and forest management. Older stands of unmanaged trees are being exploited in South America, S.E. Asia, Russia, and Africa. The lumber comes here and is made into flooring or cabinets or goes to low-wage nations to make furniture, flooring, toys, you-name-it and then is shipped here. We also export about 20% of our hardwood resource (lumber and logs) to many other countries.

The net result is some winners and some losers. Most N. American hardwood lumber species are down and world trade is part of the reason. Softwood lumber is currently down due to lower housing but it will bounce back. This industry is very competitive globally due to economies of scale, efficient production, and closeness to market. Pulpwood production appears to be moving to places like Brazil with low-cost labor and fast growing plantations. Also, a lot of our pulp and paper mills are old and have a lifespan. Forest management and the need for traditional foresters becomes less important with declining forest product markets.

Countering the bigger is better mantra, there are quite a few small direct-to-consumer companies in the USA that make products out of wood and buy either lumber or logs. The internet has greatly expanded this arena and it will probably increase in the future as people become disillusioned with widgets from the big box stores. This could help improve timber markets domestically.

I still think we are a long way out from having scare worldwide forest resources. There are a lot of trees everywhere!

[Phorester]

"Too many people consider foresters as guys who sit in forest stations and watch for forest fires or park rangers.  And we let it happen."

Correct, RON. Foresters are conservative retiring types who are uncomfortable tooting our own horn.  Couple that with the fact that most Foresters are employed by government agencies whose mantra is always "avoid controversy", we are in the position of no one really knowing what we do and what we have to contribute in today's climate of increased environmentalism.

I think that if Foresters can make the case that we are the profession that has the most knowledge of forests and can do the best environmental protection, rejuvenation, etc. of forestlands, then foresters will enjoy the demand I think our profession deserves.  But with todays kids, I still get the reaction "oh, a Forester.., you're one of the guys that sits in the fire towers.  I bet you see a lot of deer from up there".

With so much emphasis on environmental protection, I feel that demand for Foresters will increase if we educate the public that we do more than fight fires and plant trees.

[BrandonTN]

With so much emphasis on environmental protection, I feel that demand for Foresters will increase if we educate the public that we do more than fight fires and plant trees.

I agree with that.  I've considered going to forestry school, as some of you know, but I've applied to a good writing school here in town...and, having the desire to still be a part of the forestry products industry, I'd like to use my writing/journalism skills to educate people.  But first, of course, I have to learn all I can...fortuantely, I like to learn.